Salon installs cameras and extra security in wake of robberies
SALLY HARDING
A NAVAN business owner who has been the victim of two robberies and a break-in in the past month says that she will be forced to get security on her door if action is not taken to prevent anti-social behaviour in the town.
Lisa Curtis, owner of Esme Hair and Beauty on Kennedy Road, Navan is warning other businesses to beware as these thefts and break-ins occurred in daylight hours when the salon was open and busy.
Lisa Curtis, owner of Esme Hair and Beauty on Kennedy Road
“The first thing happened mid-January, we were all here working away, we were in the hair room and the other girls were in the beauty room. My mam went to do a bank lodgement and she presumed I taken the money from the till but when she told me the till was empty, the blood drained from my face.
“The girls had noticed a teenage boy who came in and waited in the waiting area everyone and presumed he was waiting for a client either in hair, beauty or with Monika Matynia who runs a permanent makeup and beauty clinic also on the premises.
“My mam had gone to make a coffee for a client in the hair room and as soon as he got the chance he must have cleared out the till, thank God there wasn’t much there with January being a quiet month for us and it was a Tuesday too but I could have had a lot more and I wouldn’t have had wages for my staff.”
Lisa describes the next incident.
“The following week a money box went missing. They took the whole lot.
“A week later on a Saturday, when Monika was away, someone came in and forced her salon doors open.
“I finished my first lady around 11.30 and noticed the door was open which would be extremely unusual.
“When I had a closer look I realised someone forced open the two rooms, the locked was completely busted and all the wood from the door was on the ground.
“The rooms had a lot of expensive equipment but nothing was taken, they were obviously looking for cash.
Esme Hair & Beauty in Kennedy Plaza
“Like most salons, we live from week to week. You rely on your clients to come in every week so you can pay your bills. My wage comes last, I pay everybody first so if my till is taken, I have to borrow money from somewhere to pay them.
“It’s stress you don’t need. It’s given me a lot more sleepless nights.
“We now have cameras installed in every area and had to buy more for extra security that has cost us a lot of money.
“Be extra careful with cash lying around it’s a horrible feeling when you work hard running a small business with local staff for someone to come in and take it.
“Hopefully that’s the end of it for us but if they do come back we can be sure to catch them.
“It’s gone very bad outside here on Kennedy Road with hanging around and anti-social behaviour, people taking drugs. Something needs to be done.”